Athletic Scholarships

The dream of playing college sports is a powerful motivator for young men and women, many of whom are the first from their family to attend college. Athletic scholarships are the means by which those dreams become realities.

Scholarships are not “given” by the university, nor are they “free rides”. Scholarships are earned by the student-athletes who have an intense daily academic and athletic regimen. Scholarships are paid for by the Athletics Department -- more than $9.5 million per year -- and funded by Seminole Booster members. More than 80 percent of Florida State scholarship recipients graduate from the university -- including a high percentage of first-generation college students -- and their lives, and the lives of generations of their family are changed as a result.

“Thanks to my football scholarship, I was the first from my family to be able to attend college. As a result of that one scholarship my older brother chose to attend college too. My scholarship led me understand how important education is and to raise the academic standard for my children. So my scholarship changed my life, my brother’s life, my son Christian’s (former FSU quarterback) life and generations of the Ponder family.”

Providing those opportunities is rewarding as scholarships attracts student-athletes who thrill us with their athletic prowess and inspire us with their achievements in the classroom and in the community. Thousands of scholarship recipients, who have fulfilled their dreams at Florida State, have used the education and the athletic lessons learned to become community and government leaders, judges, doctors, teachers, and captains of industry.

Currently, the $9 million annual cost of scholarships is funded primarily with annual Seminole Booster memberships. It is our goal to fund an athletic scholarship fund large enough that the annual earnings will fund all scholarships. Scholarship donors enjoy the satisfaction of knowing their gift provides life-changing opportunities for student-athletes and for generations of their children to follow. Scholarship gifts are 100 percent tax deductible and receive appropriate recognition including contact with the student-athletes who receive scholarship aid.

Burt Reynolds Memorial Football Scholarship

Pablo Lopez Scholarship

Pablo Lopez, the 6-foot-4, 281-pound starting offensive tackle from South Miami, was a two-year letterman and had been named to the Football News Sophomore All-American team after starting eight games in 1985. He was fatally shot on September 13, 1986 while on campus near Montgomery Gym, just 6 days after getting married. He was attending a dance sponsored by a fraternity and sorority.

Florida State football Coach Bobby Bowden said upon learning of Lopez’s death: "This is a real tragedy. I'm shocked and deeply saddened. I can't believe this has happened. Pablo was an excellent football player and an excellent person."

Monk Bonasorte Free Safety Position Football Scholarship

An All-America safety for Florida State from 1977-80, Bonasorte was inducted into the FSU Athletics Hall of Fame in recognition of his outstanding career. He helped create FSU’s Varsity Club, which is open to FSU letterwinners in all sports, and served as the president and executive director of the organization from 2003 until 2008. He joined the athletic department’s executive staff in 2008 where he oversaw the department’s internal operations as well as FSU’s highly-successful football, soccer and softball programs. Bonasorte died Saturday, Nov. 19 2016, after a 13-month battle with brain cancer. He was 59.

Pi Beta Phi Women’s Athletic Scholarship Endowment

Members of Pi Beta Phi the Seminole Boosters thank you for your generous support of Florida State Athletics. Your generous contributions ensure the success of our student-athletes on and off the field.

Phi Delta Theta Football Scholarship

Members of Phi Delta Theta the Seminole Boosters thank you for your generous support of Florida State Athletics. Your generous contributions ensure the success of our student-athletes on and off the field.

Kappa Alpha Football Scholarship

Members of Kappa Alpha the Seminole Boosters thank you for your generous support of Florida State Athletics. Your generous contributions ensure the success of our student-athletes on and off the field.

Pi Kappa Alpha Football Scholarship

Members of Pi Kappa Alpha the Seminole Boosters thank you for your generous support of Florida State Athletics. Your generous contributions ensure the success of our student-athletes on and off the field.

Alpha Delta Pi Women's Athletic Scholarship

Members of Alpha Delta Pi the Seminole Boosters thank you for your generous support of Florida State Athletics. Your generous contributions ensure the success of our student-athletes on and off the field.